3 Subtle Ways to Improve Your Cardistry Moves

Max with Tidal Playing Cards

1.  Take time to find the natural flow and rhythm of the move

Good rhythm and flow can take an average-looking move to an extraordinary move.

Think of a move like a dance. Throughout the dance there are high points and low points, but a good dancer won’t move through them with the same cadence and speed. More difficult or technical aspects of the dance may be delivered with a consistent, higher pace to emphasize the skill of the dancer – while more freeform and expressive moments may be performed in a slower, elegant fashion. All this helps to highlight each moment of the dance in its own way.

This exact approach can be applied to cardistry. Take a look at Tobias’ performance in the Moves of the Month section for an excellent example of purposeful flow.

In general, if you don’t take the time to understand the move’s rhythm, you are losing out on its potential.

2. Understand the best angle for viewing each part of the move

Which angle a move is viewed from can have a dramatic impact on how it’s perceived.

At its core, a card flourish is dynamic. Packets open up, weave through fingers, and tumble over each other. However, this constant motion can occasionally obscure the view of the most interesting moments. If two packets interact in a unique way, but either your hand or other packets block the view, the audience won’t even notice that impactful moment of the flourish.

This is particularly evident with displays. Imagine what we would miss out on if Spin Doctor were viewed or filmed from a top down angle, as opposed to head on.

To best understand your moves, view them from all angles with either a mirror or camera to find the best perspectives.

3. Test out which decks make your move look best

This can work in two ways: the quality of the deck or the back design.

Not all moves can be performed the same with every deck. Anyone who has tried a difficult packet cut with a slippery new deck understands this. But sometimes those slippery decks work best for more dynamic flourishes involving single cards or fanning packets. On the other hand, old “poop” decks can often make tough packet cuts a bit easier.

The same goes for the back design. Vibrant patterns such as those in Virtuoso decks might make your move pop, but a simple back design might allow the intricacies of your move to stand out more.

It all comes down to trial and error – test out different decks to find the one that works best.

— Conor